Before he perfected the sport of "Basket Ball", James Naismith experimented with several other indoor games, including "Hylo Ball" and "Scruggy Ball".  Associated Press.

AL MICHAELS:  Good afternoon everybody and welcome to Game One of the National Scruggy Ball Association Finals.  I'm Al Michaels and with me today is former NSBA coaching great Hubie Brown.

Michaels:  Played scruggy ball in high school.

HUBIE BROWN:  Great to be here, Al.

MICHAELS:  You know, these two teams have reached the ultimate stage in professional scruggy ball by very different routes.

Brown:  Two-time NSBA Coach of the Year.

BROWN:  That's right, Al.  The San Antonio  Armadillos will snuff out your offense with a smothering defense that uses fire extinguishers on the wings, forcing you to take low-percentage shots or drive the lane where they can defend better using O'Cedar mops and brooms.

MICHAELS:  And how about the Detroit Lakers?

BROWN:  They play a very up-tempo game, using the sideline catapult and those Super Soaker water guns to beat you on the transition.

Super Soaker:  Do not use with a half-court offense.

MICHAELS:  Let's hope San Antonio can slow them down so we can stay dry.  Any individual match-ups we should focus on?

"With their first pick, the Boston Shamrocks select Chauncey Billups from the University of Colorado, the best available niblick."

BROWN:  Well, at the point niblick for Detroit you've got Chauncey Billups, who was Mr. High School Scruggy Ball in Colorado.  When San Antonio is in a man-to-man you'll see Bruce Bowen, a defensive specialist for the Armadillos, all over him like a wet tee-shirt.

Bowen:  "Just try and scrunge past me, sucker!"

MICHAELS:  But Billups has a lot of NSBA Finals experience . . .

BROWN:  That's right--plus in scruggy ball you should never bet against a guy with a name like a British chauffeur.